Launch of Soyuz-2 light rocket from Vostochny spaceport to be carried out late 2015 - Rogozin

The Vostochny Cosmodrome is being built in the Amur Region near the Uglegorsk settlement

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MOSCOW, May 23 (Itar-Tass) - The launch of the Soyuz-2 light carrier rocket from the first launch pad of the Vostochny (Eastern) Cosmodrome will be carried out at the end of 2015, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said.

“The works are going on schedule without disruption. At the end of 2015, in November, we are planning to launch the Soyuz-2 light rocket from the first launch pad,” the prime minister said at a meeting with students of the Moscow Aviation Institute.

He said that the work for the creation of a new town - Tsiolkovsky is currently beginning near the Vostochny spaceport; the number of the town residents in the future will exceed 20 thousand. Luxury dwelling will be built there for young professionals, Rogozin said.

The Vostochny Cosmodrome is being built in the Amur Region near the Uglegorsk settlement. The new cosmodrome will enable Russia to launch most missions from its own soil, and to reduce Russia’s dependency on the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahkstan. Currently, Baikonur is the only launch site operated by Russia with capability to launch manned flights and satellites to geostationary orbit. The first launch of a carrier rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome is scheduled for the end of 2015, and the first launch of a manned spacecraft - for 2018.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in April familiarised himself with the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome facilities. “I very much hope that it will be used not only by our experts, but also by our colleagues from the United States, from Europe, from other countries. We are planning to carry out manned space launches here and plan to work on deep space exploration. It is a very good site here. We have been selecting it for a long time, and now the work is beginning in full,” said the RF head of state.